Volunteering to Be a Witness

QUESTION 41: VOLUNTEERING TO BE A WITNESS

One morning the Monsey bus was making a turn at 14th
Street when a woman who had the right of way was crossing
the street. The bus hit the woman to some extent. She
apparently wasn't that hurt, but she came onto the bus,
saying that she was a non-Orthodox Jew, and was a student
at Cardozo Law school a few blocks away. She was angry,
claiming that she could have been killed. She asked the
people on the bus: "Did anyone see what happened to me?"
No one responded. She said: "It's nice to know that my
people are here for me when I need them", and she stormed
off the bus. If any passenger had seen what happened to
her, were they obligated to speak up and say so when she
asked? Is the fact that she may have used that person as
a witness in a secular court, rather than a Jewish court,
a factor?

RABBI BELSKY

There is an obligation to give testimony even if it's
uncomfortable. That's what the Torah says, "im lo yagid
v'noso avono" ("if a person doesn't speak, he will bear
his sin.") If you know something of benefit to someone
else, then you should testify. As far as going to secular
court, it may not be so terribly wrong in our case, because
collecting insurance can only be done through a secular
court. In fact very often the bais din (Jewish court of
law) will permit a person to go to secular court, because
insurance is collectible only via the secular court. And
this is for the benefit of both parties involved.

There is another thing to keep in mind too, and that is
the question of chilul Hashem (profaning G-d's name).
People often view Orthodox Jews as covering up for one
another. It's going on right now, with regard to certain
well known issues. Covering up one for one another is a
fine thing to do - to protect your friend. But not at the
expense of someone else.

I would say that somebody should ask her, "I believe I might
have seen what happened. I would try to be of help to you
if I know exactly what you want. Do you want compensation
for some suffering? Fine. But if you pursue this kind of
thing in criminal court, with some kind of punitive objective,
I can't go along with that. If it involves legitimately
helping you, to cover your medical costs and suffering and
that kind of thing, I would be glad to help..."

QUESTIONER

So is this in the category of a bitul aseh (avoiding a positive
commandment), if one doesn't do that and testify?

RABBI BELSKY

Yes, "Im lo yagid v'noso avono" is a mitzvas assay (positive
commandment). You have to help. But, if she wasn't
physically hurt and she was just angry, and she does what
many people in America like to do -- sue for all kinds of
things, like mental anguish and suffering - and turn it into
a personal attack, then there is no obligation to testify.
I don't think that anyone is allowed to help one do those
kinds of things, and then there's no issue of "Im lo yagid
v'noso avono."

If somebody could come over to her and say, "There's a
gentleman here who wants to talk to you about it, but he
would rather not do it in front of everyone. Give me your
telephone number", that may be a good way to handle it.

QUESTIONER

But he may not find out what the woman's intention is
until after committing to speak to her. She may have
her lawyer call you, and he's going to ask you questions,
and you won't know what she intends to do.

RABBI BELSKY

If this just a meddlesome lawsuit, you could send a message
to the court that you're not going to come. You're subpoenaed
to be a witness, and you don't know much about it, and so on
and so forth.

QUESTIONER

So you can finesse it.

RABBI BELSKY

Yes.

NEXT WEEK'S QUESTION 42: TAKING OFF FROM WORK, DOING OWN WORK AT WORK

I went to a one-day conference that ended at 3 PM. I could
have gotten back to work by 4. In similar situations, my boss
has told me I could go home. But there was something I was
writing for myself that I wanted to do at my desk at work.
I could skip that task, and go home. But if I wanted to do
that task, and got to work at 4, and I usually work until 5,
can I start on my own work before 5? What if my boss is
often flexible by letting me go home early if I feel like
it? What if it doesn't look suspicious, because I don't work near
my boss or co-workers?

Participate in the Honesty Forum, and discuss the issues we confront in this class!